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Tech Interview Handbook

yangshun.github.io

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Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#221

Post by Consultant32452 »

DavidWoof wrote: post #163
Consultant32452 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your description sounds like this should only be a problem for families with serious medical issues, which would be the minority. I do have a kid. If your kid is relatively healthy then pediatricians are basically replaceable widgets. If it's important to you, just pay the cash rate for your favorite pediatrician during that 3 month period. If you're really hung up on it, you can just choose the COBRA option and keep…

I do a lot of consulting as well and am comfortable with it. But most people with families want more stability. I don't know why you're pretending to be surprised by this. Your personal preferences aren't really the topic at hand.

It's not about my personal preferences. If you're concerned about an instability period on your healthcare you can literally keep you old healthcare for up to 18 months with COBRA. Adding the contract-to-hire period doesn't really impact instability, at least as far as healthcare is concerned.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#222

Post by goatinaboat »

bakuninsbart wrote: post #182
goatinaboat wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just how interviewing was done in the 90s I agree with your approach and use it myself but one thing is different now and that’s the proliferation of tiny skills. Back then you would have a few big skills, you would claim to know one or two main languages, one or two databases and so on. Now people list hundreds - literally hundreds - of skills sometimes. And there’s no way to tell on reading if they really k…

As a very fresh junior developer, crafting a CV is extremely exhausting, because it is very hard to gauge what you can put in. Take git as an example: I used it for a couple of personal programs, read part of the documentation, had some errors and managed to get rid of them. I know the theory of how to use it on large projects. I even know enough to know that I'm pretty much just scratching the surface, but so are pr…

You should be able to talk fluently for at least 1 minute about everything you list as a skill. You should have enough material to be able to talk about your CV as a whole for 45 minutes. Not a cast iron rule but this will see you through most interviews. Good luck!

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#223

Post by nickthemagicman »

visarga wrote: post #220
DrJones1098 wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no employee rights in modern capitalism. In the 19th century, they worked 80 hours a week in mines, had child labor, no vacations, women were ignored, indentured servitude existed. All this and more until unions and labor laws. Karl Marx's entire philosophy was based on the abuses of workers he observed. Nowadays people mock progressive causes as 'socialism', mock unions and worker protections, demonize pro…

> I can't wait until most jobs are finally automated and we're done with this whole capitalist system entirely and have to figure out what to do next. We have to figure that out much sooner than all jobs are automated.

Totally agree but it's been my experience human beings (as a whole) never do anything about abstract problems until they feel the pinch themselves.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#224

Post by KKKKkkkk1 »

jjav wrote: post #84
DavidWoof wrote: post #11

I realize everybody's going to jump in and rant about algorithms in interviews, but I wish you'd all add something constructive as well. I just had to conduct a round of interviews in a non-SF large US city, and it was a hellish crapshoot. Resumes are meaningless, and often re-written by recruiters to match the job anyway. Everyone has the same canned answers to the stupid behavioral questions. And as for the code, w…

I can tell you how I do it and would certainly recommend it as the way it should be done. For some context, I've been interviewing software engineers for about 25 years in companies ranging from established multi-nationals to tiny startups in very fast headcount-growth mode. I'm in silicon valley. I can say that I've never regretted a hire I said yes to, so the method works to my satisfaction. It'd be nice to think I…

I'm an engineer and my contract is very explicit which parts of my work I'm allowed to speak about. The answer to all your questions will be "I can't speak about it." That's precisely why Google interviewers always ask abstract puzzle questions and avoid like fire any possibility of being exposed to protected IP.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#225

Post by sbarre »

KKKKkkkk1 wrote: post #224
jjav wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can tell you how I do it and would certainly recommend it as the way it should be done. For some context, I've been interviewing software engineers for about 25 years in companies ranging from established multi-nationals to tiny startups in very fast headcount-growth mode. I'm in silicon valley. I can say that I've never regretted a hire I said yes to, so the method works to my satisfaction. It'd be nice to think I…

I'm an engineer and my contract is very explicit which parts of my work I'm allowed to speak about. The answer to all your questions will be "I can't speak about it." That's precisely why Google interviewers always ask abstract puzzle questions and avoid like fire any possibility of being exposed to protected IP.

There are definitely ways to talk about your work experience in enough detail without breaking NDAs..

I would be honest and say "I'm under NDA for a lot of that but I'll do my best". If neither of you are jerks, you should be able to manage it.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#226

Post by [deleted] »

habitue wrote: post #91

In my experience, dynamic programming is overrepresented in interview questions (vs. like other algorithm techniques). Everyone loves to ask dynamic programming questions, make sure you've done a lot of them and you'll look really impressive.

[deleted]

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#227

Post by new299 »

kidintech wrote: post #203
new299 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that looks like a valid solution to me. If you’re saying only the top 10-20% of CS grads can answer such questions then that would make sense. I’d guess I was getting a random selection of candidates.

> you’re saying only the top 10-20% of CS grad I'm saying that ALL top 10-20% of CS grads will be able to answer questions at this difficulty level in an interview scenario (accounting for nerves and so on). I'm not limiting it to them (i.e. the "only" quantifier). I know people in the bottom of CS grads (judging by GPA) that worked remote jobs or worked on personal projects during uni that are very talented and woul…

Good to know, I would tend to agree. I’m interested in any contrary opinions (because I may not sufficiently account for anxiety, or other issues).

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#228

Post by matz1 »

yumraj wrote: post #100
solipsism wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please do start? I'm kind of curious what you'll say because it's not at all obvious to me that it would be a bad idea.

I'll try - a few thoughts: Software engineering is part knowledge and part application of knowledge (problem solving) and part ability to acquire and apply new knowledge. We remain current in our jobs and roles by making sure we're constantly learning. Interviews should be part testing of knowledge, but a lot more discussions to evaluate problem solving and ability to acquire & apply knowledge. Also, knowledge in man…

>I may learn react via books/tutorials, get a great score in the test, never use it and/or forget it by the time

Thats one of the point of programming test, there are tons of framework/language out there, every company might use different language/framework, a standardize test streamline the interview process, make it easy for you to interview in many different company.

>Given that it's not clear as to what problem such a test will solve

It very least shows that you are care enough for the job that you willing to prepare time to prepare for it.

>Some people are better test takers than others

Sure, life is never fair, but for those who are worse test takers then it just mean you have spend more time and effort to practice it.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#229

Post by mandeepj »

ritchiea wrote: post #173
wincent wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These questions should definitely be part of the interview process, but not all of it. I've done a lot of these kinds of interviews and I've definitely seen candidates that speak impressively but fail basic technical tests. If you don't actually verify the technical problem-solving ability of the candidate in some way you're forgoing signal that can massively increase the confidence you can have in your decision.

I’ve failed technical tests because I found the interview process stressful, or felt nervous or uncomfortable in the moment or was having a bad day. I recently did a round of interviewing for jobs and realized the real key for me was handling my emotions in these situations so I can bring the same approach I bring to my work to the interview. And it’s not the same as your day to day work because if I’m writing an alg…

> was having a bad day

Then ask for a reschedule or try to get it as the first thing in a day.

> I found the interview process stressful, or felt nervous or uncomfortable in the moment

Need to grow confidence. Walk into interview - like you own it. You are the best. Think - you know everything {only during interview :-) } but also keep an open mind. Don't think - it's an interview - take it as you are going to teach them about what they will ask.

Irrespective of this - mistakes will happen. Fail -> learn -> try again.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#230

Post by new299 »

twic wrote: post #208
kidintech wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you’re saying only the top 10-20% of CS grad I'm saying that ALL top 10-20% of CS grads will be able to answer questions at this difficulty level in an interview scenario (accounting for nerves and so on). I'm not limiting it to them (i.e. the "only" quantifier). I know people in the bottom of CS grads (judging by GPA) that worked remote jobs or worked on personal projects during uni that are very talented and woul…

+1. Anyone who is a programmer can solve that problem. If they can't solve it, they aren't a programmer, end of story.

So the weird thing is, that people who can’t solve these kinds of fizzbuzz type problems are often employed as programmers.

And, in my experience there are definitely situations where the majority of candidates can’t solve these problems.

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